This is a blog detailing the creation/evolution/ID controversy and assorted palaeontological news. I will post news here with running commentary.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Ark Encounter to Possibly Begin Building in August

According to Cincinnati.com, ground-breaking on the new Ark Encounter might begin in two months. Mark Hansel writes:

Groundbreaking for the $172 million Ark Encounter project could be as early as August, now that tax rebates for the attraction have been green-lighted.

The approval of incentives virtually assures the project will be built on the Grant County site identified by developers at a December press conference in Frankfort.

One funding source that has been easy to track is what Zovath refers to as the "pegs, planks and beams" program, which allows contributors to sponsor those items at a cost of $100, $1,000 and $5,000 each respectively.

"This was the site that we really liked and everything was predicated on getting this approval," Mike Zovath, senior vice president for Answers in Genesis and project manager for the Ark Encounter LLC project, said.

What is interesting is that the Ark Encounter is now being called a “partnership” between Ark Encounter, LLC and Answers in Genesis. Recall that Ken Ham stated on the air that “The Ark Encounter is a profit organization. Answers in Genesis is just a member. You need to understand that.” Also from the article:

One funding source that has been easy to track is what Zovath refers to as the "pegs, planks and beams" program, which allows contributors to sponsor those items at a cost of $100, $1,000 and $5,000 each respectively.

A running total of donations is kept on the Ark Encounter website and the program has generated more than $3.2 million since December for the ark itself, which is projected to cost $24.5 million.

“I'm actually a bit surprised at how strong the donations are from that program,” Zovath said. “That's the entry-level program for people who want to get involved, but can't afford too much.”

Most of those amounts are generally out of my price range but there must be some very wealthy benefactors out there. I would prefer to see them contribute their money to World Vision or Operation Rescue but there it is.

2 comments:

Given the cost of this project—and that the aim is to convince the world of Noah's story as told by AiG—wouldn't it be more prudent to build the ark on open water? If they had conceived rather of a transatlantic cruise line, I would be donating all the planks I could.

Two thing have always struck me about AiG: 1. You are right. The ark should be out in open water and 2. how did they end up in rural Kentucky, of all places, to build, of all things, a creation museum?